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Cardinals don't have as much cap space as you might think

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This past December, the NFL announced projections for the 2019 salary cap were increasing from $177.2 million to a range of $187 million to $191.2 million.

Since 2015, the NFL salary cap has increased an average of $11.3 million dollars, or 6.83 percent per year.

This would put 2019’s NFL salary cap at around $188.5 million per team. Popular cap sites Spotrac and Over the Cap however have inflated numbers of $193.8 million and $196.5 million respectively.

Only the top 51 contracts count against the NFL salary cap. This past week, the Arizona Cardinals announced the re-signing of Larry Fitzgerald for $11 million plus $1 million in incentives, putting the team’s top contracts at $135 million.

Factor in a dead money charge of $10.5 million for contracts like Sam Bradford, Mike Iupati and Andre Smith, and another $9.4 million for the 2019 rookie pool for their draft picks that would count against the top 51, and the Cardinals currently have roughly $40 million in cap space to spend.

The cap is always fluid proposition. The team can always create more cap space with the release of a few aging and underperforming veterans such as Antoine Bethea, who will be 35 next season, and Jermaine Gresham who’s yet to live up to his 2017 contract numbers. Doing so would add an additional $5.7 million.

It will be interesting to watch in the coming weeks as the NFL will enter the waiver period on February 4. The Cardinals have first claim rights on non-vested veterans. And, as they add new talent, their cap number will fluctuate.

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The Arizona Cardinals re-signed running back Kenyan Drake this offseason on a one-year transition tag deal, which will pay him almost $8.5 million in 2020. He rushed for 643 yards and eight touchdowns in eight games after being acquired via trade.

Over a 16-game season, that projects to 16 rushing touchdowns, which is the franchise record in a season.

Can he set a franchise record in 2020? Where can he finish season?

Seven players have finished with at least 10 rushing touchdowns. Check them out below.

Listen to the latest from Cards Wire's Jess Root on his podcast, Rise Up, See Red.